In a surprising shake-up within the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi has terminated Joseph Tirrell, the department’s top ethics adviser. Tirrell’s dismissal, which he announced via a LinkedIn post, raises questions about the reasons behind his firing and the future of the department’s ethical oversight.
Joseph Tirrell, who had been director of the ethics office since 2021, oversaw the review of issuer financial disclosures. He frequently kept an eye on ethical adherence among executive branch leaders, including Bondi herself. He managed a team of about 30 people responsible for making sure the department, by all accounts, lived up to its own ethical standards.
Tirrell managed a very important issue where they approved $140,000 in pro-bono legal care. These services may not be allowed to John L. Smith, considering his resignation. This decision is focused on the importance of Tirrell’s role and it implies that he was deeply involved in real-time ethical judgments on important ethical decisions.
In light of these professional achievements, the details of his departure are murky. As you can see, Bondi’s letter spelled Tirrell’s name wrong. It similarly neglected to give any concrete reasons for his firing, leading critics to wonder if the termination was related to his oversight duties or other internal affairs.
After news of his firing went public, Tirrell defended his principled stand in a public statement.
“I took the oath at 18 as a Midshipman to ‘support and defend the constitution of the United States’.” – Joseph Tirrell
This quote says a lot about his deep and abiding commitment to constitutional values. It implies that he would view his firing as an abandonment of those very principles.